Till We Close Our Eyes For Good
by Haha bye
Summary: Percy Jackson is walking home one day from work or the streets of New York, and he meets some...interesting people. The each teach him lessons. Based off "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" by Cage the Elephant. Oneshot.


**A/N: HAPPRY BIRTHDAY PERCY! :D**

**One of the short one-shots I've done to celebrate Percy Jackson's birthday today, August 18****th****.**

**SING WITH ME NOW!**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR PERCY,**

**HAPPY BIRHTHDAY TO YOU! :D**

**Yeah, I went all out for a fictional character's birthday. So what? I'm a nerd, and I'm proud. :D**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson & The Olympians or Heroes of Olympus or "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" or its lyrics. They go to Rick Riordan and Cage The Elephants, respectively.**

'Till We Close Our Eyes For Good

Based off: _**'Ain't No Rest For The Wicked'**_ by **Cage The Elephants**

It was around ten in the great city of New York. It was a Friday night, and the city lights were bright; people were still bustling around, enjoying the partying nightlife. The warm humid thick air filled with different aromas consumed everyone. Percy Jackson was sweating bullets, anticipating setting foot in his cool air-conditioned home. He hadn't worked today, as the CEO of his owning marine biology center; this was his first day taking a break in over a year. But, of course, he had spent the whole day running errands. Cleaning out his P.O. box, getting his suit out the dry cleaner, things like that. He had given his personal assistant a day off as well, and he had to do all of the errands she had to do. On days like this, he didn't use his car, and usual on-foot route was crowded. He had to take the alternative way. He walked down the street and turned the corner, and he was on a dark pathway.

Now, walking down a dark street in the heart of New York City during midnight is not recommended, as you are bound to meet some dark characters.

Percy, of course, knew that, being a native New Yorker, so he started walking briskly, trying to get to his home as soon as possible, without sweating as much as he already was. Then, in his peripheral vision, he saw a curvy figure come up to him. He stopped and stared at where the figure used to be. Before he could start walking on, a seductive voice whispered into his ear, putting their hands on his shoulder, making him jump: "Now what's a handsome man like you doing on a night like this?"

He shivered as the figure came around front, her hands still on his shoulders. She was a sexy woman, a curvaceous hourglass figure, beautiful blonde hair in ringlets past her shoulders and stunning, hypnotizing gray eyes. She had on a stunning mid-thigh lavender dress, hugging her curves and flattering her in all the right places. It was cut low enough to see cleavage, but not the whole show. The lavender somehow brought out her eyes, shining with intellect. Her outfit was amazing, if not ingenious, for her specific 'proffesion'.

"And, who might you be ma'am?" he said, training his face and voice to remain stoic while being polite.

She came up to his ear again and whispered, "My name's Annabeth, but you can call me anything you want, babe." Annabeth then nibbled shamelessly on his ear, and he, as politely as he could, pushed her off.

She pouted, still in seduction mode, making is sexy. "Aw, come on babe. I've never seen a man who looked so solitary, and so _alone_. I can tell you need my companionship for a while." She circled around him, his eyes following her.

She continued, "I'm not as expensive as other girls. Not as whorish, either, but I have experience, that would blow your mind. I can sell for just the right price for a fella like you." She stopped in front of him again, pausing, arms crossed just beneath her breasts, intentionally emphasizing them. Then she came up to again, wrapped her arms around his waist, and said softly and seductively aging in his ear, "Your night will be like no other babe. No cuddling or anything afterwards either. I could be the best experience you've ever had; then you could send me out, no strings attached. "

Percy then unattached her arms from around his waist, spun around, and stared at her, an unbelievable look on his face. He just studied the beautiful woman, studied her gray eyes that held pain and suffering that she tried to hide, stared at the amazing, clever female in front of him who really shouldn't be the harlot she is.

He then finally said, "You are such a beautiful, lovely, clever sweet woman, ma'am. Why do you sell such an amazing thing as yourself?"

It was Annabeth's turn to study Percy. She saw he was genuine in his compliment, and genuine in his question.

After a pause, she finally answered, "There is no rest, no sleeping for people like me. The dark, wicked people, either on the streets, or the greedy people in corporate businesses. There are so many needs we have to fufill. I have bills everywhere that need to be payed. I have little mouths-just not my own- that need to be fed. My boyfriend, Luke, would kill me if I didn't come home with his minimum. I would probably kill myself, looking at my kids' faces as they go hungry another night. You have to pay for everything in this world; in this thing we call society, nothing comes free. You know how much I wish I could slow down or hold back from doin' this?" She threw her arm to the darkened street, showing what 'this' was. "I can't, because people like me can't stop or rest 'till we're six feet under."

Percy just stared at the unbelievable woman in front of him. Her speech had actually reached somewhere deep inside him. The wicked people of this world just did what they did to survive. Isn't that what everyone wants? To survive? There has to be a way to help this woman, without dark deeds haunting her for at least one night.

"How much is your minimum a night, ma'am?" He said, determined.

She blinked unbelievingly back at him and said, "Five hundred, but I already have-"

She stopped, as he already dug out his wallet. He pulled out four fifties and three hundreds. He opened her hand, put the money safely in, and closed it with both of his hands. Before he put his wallet back, he kissed her hand, looking at her stunned gray eyes the whole time. As a final farewell, he said, "Bye Annabeth, ma'am, thank you," and started walking down the street again.

Annabeth just stared at the back of the most amazing, unbelievable man she ever had the grace of meeting, let alone not slept with, money clutched in her hand as if it were her hold to Earth. As he went out of sight, she realized she didn't even catch his name, or why he thanked him.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Percy went further down, determined to get home. He was now sweating missiles. His mind thought about what just happened. It had been an experience with Annabeth, and it would probably stick with him the rest of his life. As he kept himself immerged in his thoughts, he passed a dark alleyway, not seeing anything-or anyone- in the deep shadows.

Percy felt a cold piece of metal on the back of his head. His blood ran turned to ice, and he immediately stopped and slowly put his hands up. He did not say a word. He could not say a word, as he was frozen in fear. It was pretty clear he wasn't supposed to do anything, anyway.

"Give me everything," a masculine voice said. "Money, anything valuable." An olive-skinned hand shot in front of him, palm out. A lock of the man's hair brushed Percy's collarbone.

"Go on now," the voice urged, "I want valuables in my hand, not your life, but if you try something, I promise I won't blink an eye."

Percy just paused.

While fear was still coursing through his veins, a shade of blind curiosity passed over his mind.

Well, we can either call it blind curiosity or blind stupidity, whichever think fits him the best.

With his hands still raised in surrender, turned around cautiously to the robber. The culprit, for reasons unknown, let him do it. Maybe it was because the air of innocence and surrender around the man. He still followed the man with his gun, though; hand on the trigger, ready if the prey tried anything sneaky.

Percy was met with the sight of hair as dark as midnight, and obsidian-colored eyes. Looking into the onyx orbs, he saw the threat was genuine. He also pain, suffering, hate, coldness, and an unexpected emotion. Fear. The man apparently did not have as much fear that he had right now, but he had just enough amount to see it, even as miniscule as it was.

"Okay, you can have everything. I promise," Percy said slowly. The man did not tense down at all, but just eyed Percy. Percy continued anyway. "But can I please ask you a question, sir?"

A shade of confusion washed over the man's face and he was confused for a moment. Percy knew he could have taken advantage of the situation in that moment, even as small as the moment was.

He chose not to.

The wave of confusion on the dark-eyed man's face was just there a second, before he straightened up and tensed, once again on alert.

"Yes," the man said finally with obvious caution. "But don't try anything, or you'll go down," he warned.

Percy's tensed muscles relaxed a bit before he said, "What makes you do this? You know, live this lifestyle?" Percy questioned, still at will to this man.

The dark character was not offended at all by the question, as Percy thought he could be. He just looked as if were taken off guard. The man's face then hardened, apin and hurt written in his eyes. He sneered.

"Well, besides the fact that my sister died and left me here in this cold world?" the man snorted bitterly. "There's no peace, no relaxation, no rest for people like me. The sinning, dark, immoral people. Money doesn't just come out of anywhere, growing on branches and in orchards. Bill collectors need to be satisfied, food needs to be bought for mouths, and there is probably nothing on planet Earth that's actually free. I can't halt or go down a notch at all, but you don't know how many nights I stayed up praying that I could. I can't really be at rest until I can be with my Bianca, again."

Percy, dumbfounded, just looked at the man. With his hands up in the air like that, he probably looked silly, but he didn't care. This mysterious man, this robber-no, this _person _had opened up to him, a complete stranger. The man had poured a piece of his heart out, no matter how small it was. It was outstanding.

He again, had to do something that made another person's life easier

"I won't report you," Percy said, guessing what the man has gotten worked up about. The man still was tense, but this time out of confusion. His eyebrows where scrunched together as if to ask, "Pardon me?"

"I'm going to try to help you," Percy explained.

The man put his gun in its holster and his arm to his side, in shock. Why did this man want to help him?

Percy got out his wallet, pulled out a couple of hundreds, and said, "Will this be enough?"

The man slowly nodded his head, his mouth slightly open in shock, looking at Percy suspiciously.

"There will no need for stealing, no?"

The man then shook his head, still slowly, cautiously.

Percy put the money in the man's pocket, and said, "I'll be on my way. Thank you, sir."

As the back of his victim turned charity disappeared, Nico wondered why the man with the sea-green eyes thanked him. It should be vice versa. And he realized they didn't get to learn each other's names.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Percy settled down on his couch, taking in the cool air. He only had on a pair of blue cotton pajama pants. He cracked opened a beer and took a drawn out sip.

What a night!

Annabeth and the black-eyed man had really made him discover something. They were both amazing in their own way. The only thing they try to do is survive, and if sinning is the only way to do it, they have to do it. Most people would say meeting a seducing harlot and getting held up by a robber would be a terrible night. For Percy, it was the exact opposite.

He flipped on the television, turned to channel 4, and took another sip of beer. He had made it just in time for the 11 o' clock news.

"This is your Channel 4 News," a bright red-haired woman in a black suit that highlighted her hair even more said, articulating every word. "I am your newscaster, Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

Percy snorted at the woman's name. Did they really need her full title? Rachel Dare would've been fine. Well, he had to admit, it didn't have that same…_thing,_ same style and feel to it that Rachel Elizabeth Dare did,but oh well.

"Breaking news for tonight," the woman continued. "Pastor Jason Grace has been accused of taking funds from his church, Hickory Grove*. There has been evidence found that it could be true. He is awaiting trial…"

Ms. Dare continued, but Percy didn't hear. Beer was now sprayed on his television. Pastor Grace? His friend? Stealing money from the church that Percy attended? He almost couldn't understand it. When did this happen?

They put on a video of Pastor Grace being escorted police department to be question. Along his side were his wife, Piper McLean-Grace, his best friend and CEO of Festus Enterprises Leo Valdez, and his sister, Thalia Grace. They and other people-legal advisors, his attorney, close people to him-shielded Jason from the paparazzi and news stations throwing questions and comments at him while taping.

"Pastor Grace, are the accusations true?"

"Pastor Grace, when did the taking of money start?"

"Pastor Grace, is it true that you have had two affairs with women called Reyna and Drew?"

"Lady Grace, have you heard of your husband's affairs?"

"Lady Grace, is it true that you had an affair with Leo Valdez?"

"Lady Grace, is it true that you used the stolen money to go on shopping sprees?"

"Mr. Valdez, is it correct that you used some of the money to found your business?"

"Ms. Grace, how do you feel about your brother's actions?"

Percy just stared at the screen a moment uncomprehendingly. He knew that the answer to most of those questions were probably yes. The affairs, the shopping sprees, everything. He could believe Jason Grace would do these things and allow these things to happen. He just couldn't believe a pastor could do this.

Then, he took a sip of beer, shrugged, and said,

"Well, there ain't no rest for the wicked. Money don't grow on trees. They got bills to pay, they got mouths to feed, and ain't nothing in this world for free. They can't stop now, they can't hold back, oh you, they wished they could. Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked, until we close our eyes for good."

He then closed his eyes and the let the sounds of the television and New York City to lull him to sleep on his couch.

***Hickory Grove is an actual Church in North Carolina. I couldn't make up my own church name, so there it is. And, I don't own Hickory Grove.**

**I think it was a nice one-shot. :D**

**Check out my page for other Percy Jackson Celebration fics! **

**Reviews are appreciated. :D**


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